Misha Cirkunov vs. Wellington Turman is the co-main event for UFC Fight Night betting on February 26, from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cirkunov is looking to get his career back on track after a recent move to the middleweight division while Turman is a young fighter aiming for his second win in a row. Oddsmakers are expecting a close bout with UFC betting lines installing Makhachev as a slim -125 favorite with Turman coming back at +100.
Here are our best free Cirkunov vs. Turman picks and predictions for Saturday, February 26.
Cirkunov vs Turman fight odds
Live odds courtesy of the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Cirkunov vs Turman method of victory odds
| Method of Victory | Misha Cirkunov | Wellington Turman |
|---|---|---|
| To win by KO/TKO | +600 | +440 |
| To win by Points | +460 | +300 |
| To win by Submission | +250 | +750 |
| Draw | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook as of February 24, 2022.
Cirkunov vs Turman picks
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Cirkunov vs Turman betting preview
Misha Cirkunov was on the wrong side of a split decision when he made his middleweight debut against Krzysztof Jotko in October. The 34-year-old is just 2-5 in his last seven UFC fights after entering the promotion with four straight wins.
The Latvian-Canadian has a background in judo, wrestling, and BJJ, and is a grappling specialist with brutal strength and technique on the mat. Cirkunov fought for most of his career at light heavyweight and was a bit of a glass cannon.
Prior to that bout with Jotko, his previous seven fights had all ended inside the opening round, with each win coming by first-round submission and each defeat via first-round KO/TKO.
Wellington Turman is coming off a split-decision win against Sam Alvey last August to improve his UFC record to 2-3.
Despite being just 25 years old, Turman has extensive experience in MMA with a 17-5 career record across various promotions. With a black belt in BJJ and a background in Muay Thai, the Brazilian is a well-rounded fighter but doesn't stand out in any one area.
Cirkunov vs Turman tale of the tape
| Misha Cirkunov | Wellington Turman | |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | Age | 25 |
| 6-foot-3 | Height | 6-foot |
| 185 lbs | Weight | 185 lbs |
| 77 inches | Reach | 72 inches |
| 15-7-0 (4 KO) | Record | 17-5-0 (4 KO) |
Cirkunov vs Turman UFC prediction and best bet
Our prediction is compiled from the analysis of the fighters and is an indication of who we are leaning with to win this bout.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this fight or where the most value lies, and is where we would put some of our bankroll behind.
Prediction: Cirkunov (-125)
Although Cirkunov has just two wins in his last seven fights most of those losses came against ranked fighters (and heavy hitters) in Johnny Walker, Glover Teixeira, and Volkan Oezdemir.
That's better competition than Turman, whose only victories in the octagon came against Alvey (who is 0-7-1 in his last eight fights) and Markus Perez, who lost three in a row before getting cut from the UFC.
Turman hasn't knocked out anybody since 2016, when he was competing in a tiny promotion called University of Champions, so he might not have the striking ability to test Cirkunov's chin. On the other hand, Cirkunov should be able to use his size and strength advantage to take this fight to the mat where he can impose his will and pick up the win.
Best bet: Cirkunov by submission (+250)
Although Turman is a good grappler, Cirkunov is on another level and his last five wins in the UFC have all come by way of submission.
His last three submission wins came against a BJJ specialist in Crute, a former All-American wrestler in Patrick Cummins, and the current No. 9-ranked light heavyweight in Nikita Krylov (who has 15 career submission wins of his own). Back Cirkunov to win by sub once again.
